Jack.



A. H. COX.

JACK.

APPLICATIN FILED FEB. I9, 1917.

PmendAug. 21,1917

HMI

a .a mi,

ARTHUR H. c ox, or sHELBY, oHio.

l J ACK.

Specification olfLetters Patent. Patented Aug, 21, 1917.

Application iled February 19, 1917. .Serial No. 149,426.

Be it known that I, ARTHUR H. Cox, `a citizen of the United StatesofAnierica,

residing at Shelby, in thecounty of Richland and State of Oliio,ihaveinvented 4certain new and useful Improvements in Jacks, of which thefollowing is a specification.

This invention relates to an improvement in jacks, of that type adaptedto support the full weight of a vehicle, particularlyv a motor vehicle,to relieve all of the tires of such weight, while the vehicle is not inuse. The present invention has for its prin cipal object the provisionof asimpletype of jack, capable o f being readily arranged.

in the usual garage or .other 'storage place, and constructed to supportthe entire weight of the vehicle in a position to relievey theyjack-bars. This permits the vehicle to be restored to normal or Hoorplane, without any vjar to the forward portion of the vehicle, as, bythepresent structure, the rear wheels are lowered, not swung, to the floor,before any movement is permitted the forward jaclcbars, and hence nomoiejar is given the forward portion of the vehicle in lowering than inraising.

A preferred type of the improved jack is illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings, in which Figure l is a plan view of the j ack constructed inaccordance with the invention.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same, the

forward jack-bars being shown as engagedA by the front axle.

f Fig.`3 is a similar view, showing thev forward jack-bar in operativeor vehicle-raising position, and the rear jack-bars in initialaxle-engaging position.

Fig. 4 is a broken side elevation, showing the rear jack-bars in fullyoperative or vehicle raising position.

Fig-5 is a perspective view of one of the rear jack-bars.

. Fig. 6 is a sectional detail, showing a modified form of forwardjack-bar.

Fig 7 -is a plan of the shaft operating handle.v v f Vflhe improvedjack,l as here shown, 'comlprises afloorframe l, preferably to besecui'edto the ioor of a garage or other storage place, though it isapparent that it may simply rest upon ythe floor, or Vmay be ofsufficient strength to be roller or caster sup-v ported, to permittheentire device to be moved with vthe supported automobile as desired. v`

The floor frame is formed at the forward end to provide hollow box-likesupports 2, arranged in proper spaced relation. A forward jack-bar 3 is:mounted for movement in each of'said supports, being preferably `pivotedtherein. The jack-bars 3 are of elongated form having a pivotopeningnear the lower end to receive a pivot 4 passing throughl the walls ofthesupport. The unpper ends'of the jack-bars are notched at 5 to receivethe forward axle a of the vehicle,

such notches lbeing here shown as cut-out portions presenting abruptshoulders 6 against whichthe axle contacts, as such axle rides onto thebars'. The forward jack-bars are'mounted to be normally held by gravityat a. rearwardr inclination, that is, inclined' from their pivots towardthe approaching vehicle, as shown in Fig. 2, that is,con structedsoythat lthey will not remain .in

'their operative positions without pressure thereon, but will at alltimes move to normal positions when free to act. The openings or wallsof the supports are, provided, or maybe yformed with limiting stops 7 sothat under the influence of the movingvehicle thel jack-bars may swingfrom a normal position to an operative, or vehicle supporting positionagainstsuch stops. Insuch positions the jack-bars are slightly beyond ltheir centers, butv it will be noted that the bottoms of the. notches 5incline slightly upwardlyfand rearwardly, so that as thefvehicle is.drawn off the jacks the axle tends to return the jack-bars to normalpositions. A runway 8 1s arranged on the outer side of each supportv 2,and preferably, though not necessarily secured to the floor frame. Therunways are simply blocks or strips to receive the front wheels of thevehicle, and by the travel of the wheels thereon raise the forward endof the vehicle to place the lforward axle in the notched ends of thejackbars, The runways are inclined toward and yioo iio

into 4coincidence with the floor at the entrant ends v'and abruptlyterminate at a point in the rear of that occupied by the lowermostvpoints of the forward wheels w-lren'the forward axle on the j aclrbarsis in extreme clear of the surface or floor. y A

The rear portion ofthe floor frame is extended. from the supports 2,. asframe-bars of y'angle formation, as at 9, presentingupright sections10.. The frame-bars preferably converge rearwardly to narrow'the rear frights 10, neartheir rear or-v free ends.- and.

endof the jack to avoid interference with the break drums lor other,partsof the ve-` hicle. .y A, .shaft l1 'ismounted. in the4 up,-y

` transverselyof the floor frame.l yllhe rear.

jack-bars 12ers arrangedon this shaft, each.,

comprising ya shaft-connected section 13. and. an axle-engagingfsection14,..pivotally con*- nectedv to the shaft connected section.

The upper ends of the axle-engagingsec tions lll are notched orotherwise formed,l

at 15, to engage. the.V rear 4axle housing of the vehicle, suchinotches, though preferably identical with the notches 5 of the for-.ward

A, jack-bars, being: reversely. formed, asthe respectivesjack-.barsengage theaxles from opposite sides.. The lower.- end. of thefaxle.-engaging section of the rear jack-bar is v formed'y with a laterallyextendinglugl to Iengage with the shaftfconnectedv section when saidaxle Section pivots over the. cen.-

ter of' gravity, that isin operative position;

while the upper `end ofthe shaft-.connected section is formed with .a,laterally-extending lugv 17 at the terminal of a forwardly exstendingvarm 18,; serving.v to limity forward movement of the axleengaging sectiontol hold the sections in .angularly-related, posi-`tions, Vwhich is their normal.- position. A

. springlQ connected to theframeupright l() and to the .axle-engaging.sect-ion.v off eachr Cit jack-bar, servestoheld the sectionsV innormalpositions,- the springs-.beingpreferably so arranged with relationto thepivots, of'V v the sections, that they vwill tendV also. to` holdthe-sections in operative .positions,.as willbe apparent from Fig.. 4.

In normal positions-the upper ends of therearijack-bars are solocat'edthat, after rais- `ingthe front end of the vehicle on theforward jack-bars, a turning of the shaft 11,.V

willengage the rear jack-bars with the.. rear axle or housing Theshaft'll is provided.

with anloperating projection 20, adjustably secured` by which the shaftmay be turned.

Follow-ing the engagement of the rear j ack -l bars with' the rear axleor. housing, the shaft is forcedfthrough a slightly further rotation', ahandle member 2l, shownin Fig. 7,v and"`v formed with a .slotted-head,being engaged withlthe projection 20 for ythis purpose. The vadditionalv rotation ofthe shaft straightens` spacing of the acks.

the jack-bar sections, after the manner of a toggle lever action,raising the rear axle, to support-the 'vehicle free of tire contact withthe floor or the like. forward position. As the jack-bars swing underthe advancing axle, they raise the same, a'iid hence. support r theVforward tires The shaft 11 is preferably of such length that it extendsoutwardly beyond the floorframe to-provide portions as 22, on which' therear. jaclr-bars may be mounted, in the event the particular vehiclerequires such The j aclrs, as well as the projection 2O` are'adjustablysecured on the shaft, as before explainechandv as here' v, shown,through the medium .ofset screwsk 23, to permit'any desired spacingbetween.` the parts made necessary by the requirements of. theparticular vehicle. y In Fig. there is shown. aQmodiiied form offorwardv jack-bar, which may be usedif l desired. rEhe bar is notpivoted in the fsup.- port,.but is formedfat the lowerrendy with a.

rounded end 24,1iavingnotches or teeth 25,..

to engage-teeth 26 ina straight jack-bar 2"(V secured in the'bottom` ofthe support. v This; jaclfbar` operates exactly as the preferred form,the. toothed.- engagement. preventing slipping, andthe bar beingnormally infin-Q enced by l,gravity to a rearward inclination..

The userofthev improved ack permits the:

automobile to be 'moved under its own or other power to a1 position toautomaticallyraise itsforward'end to clear the tires, the rear end beingmanually raised' as described. The lowering4 of 4the rear Vend, .byobviousv reverse operation to the raising movement. described, placesthe traction. wheels on thel hicle toward the forward jack-bars, thusactv ing tol hold th-e latter in vehicleesupporting. position.Furthermore, the forward jacle. bars are not permittedt'o move,either-inelevating yor lowering thev rear jack-bars,and

the action of the latter is such' as to. causea directup and downmovement oftherear portionoffthe vehicle. l Therefore, in lower-f ingthe vehicle the rear wheels :are placed. on

the ooror frame surface, without any pose sibilityy of `movement oftheforwardv jacks,v

and hence ,the lowering of theffrward portion of the vehicle. iscontrolled through. movement of the car on the driving wheels,

permitting the operatorv to. .lower the fori ward `portion of thevehicle without appreciable jar.

It will be ation of the rear jacks in both raising .and lowering thevehicle is important, in that it. permits the forward jacks when.inoperative position, to bef arranged at amuchless apparent thatth'emanual operev isc over-balanced forward position than would be otherwisepossible. It will be noted from Fig. 2, that in the operative positionthe forward jacks are but slightly forward of the vertical line of theirpivots and that the weight of the vehicle alone, assuming the rearwheels to be resting on the ground surface and the vehicle free to move,would probably be sufficient to lower the forward jacks. However, therear jacks directly raise and lower the rear end of the vehicle, that ismove the rear end of the vehicle without the slightest swing movementthereof. Therefore, particularly in lowering, the rear wheels are placedvon the ground, or other surface, before there is a possibility ofmovement of the forward portion of the vehicle. Under thesecircumstances it is only necessary to give the slightest elevation andthe slightest incline to the raising and lowering operation of theforward portion of the vehicle, as the operation of rear portion of thevehicle absolutely holds the forward portion against possibility ofmovement. The forward acls as the vehicle is moved to withdraw theforward end thereof from such jacks therefore have but a slight swing,and will, as a result lower the vehicle without ar.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new isl. Anautomobile jack comprising a frame, independent forward acks mountedtherein, a shaft jonrnaled in the rear portion of the frame, rearjack-bars arranged on the shaft, and means for operating the shaft, eachrear jack-bar comprising a shaft-connected section and an axle-engagingsection pivotally connected to the shaft-connected section.

2. An automobile jack comprising a frame, independent forward jacksmounted therein, a shaft journaled in the rear portion of the frame,rear jack-bars arranged on the shaft, and means for operating the shaft,each rear jack-bar comprising a shaft-connected section and anaxle-engaging section pivotally connected to the shaft-connectedsection, the

sections being formed to limit relative pivotal movement in eachdirection.

3. An automobile jack comprising a frame, forward jack-bars carriedthereby, a shaft mounted in the frame, rear jack-bars comprisingpivotally-connected sections, one section of each rear jack-bar beingsecured on the shaft, means for normally maintaining the sections ofeach bar in angularly-related positions, and means for operating theshaft to simultaneously aline the angularly-related sections to therebymove the free ends of the jack-bars from the shaft.

4:. An automobile jack comprising a frame, forward jack-bars carriedthereby, a shaft mounted in the frame, rear jack-bars comprisingpivotally connected sections, one section of each rear jack-bar beingsecured on the shaft, springs for normally maintaining the sections ofeach bar in angularly-related positions, and means for operating theshaft to simultaneously aline the angularly-related sections to therebymove the free ends of the jack-bars from the shaft.

In testimony whereof i afx my signature.

ARTHUR H. COX.

' Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents.

Washington, D. C.

